The Elendili are the Elf-friends – those who worship the Valar, the gods and goddesses of Middle-earth
that dwell in the True West. If you sincerely wish to
become an Elf-friend, and to follow the path of the Ancient Ones, please readon.To contact us, youmayuse the form under Meetings and Contact Details, or join our Facebook group, Elven Myth & Magic.This website, then titled Three Rings for the Elven Kings, was founded in 2003 (on Angelfire) to prove that the world described by Tolkien is real, and that all of us shall one day reach the Undying Lands…

Gods and Goddesses

The gods and goddesses of Middle-earth are the Valar, the Ancient Ones that dwell in Aman, the Undying Lands of the True West. According to The Silmarillion they are fourteen in number, though The Book of Lost Tales
includes two more, Makar and Meássë, as a war-god and war-goddess. In
his later formulation Tolkien preferred to describe the Valar as Powers,
or angelic beings, rather than gods, though a fair amount of the
earlier, Pagan terminology survived into later times. The Valar have
been known by countless different names throughout recorded history.

Lords of the Valar(Valar, sing. Vala)

Ella kom ye la! I cried unto these onesI’ve wandered through the dark so long!I’ve waited through the night for the rising sun!

Who is Tom Bombadil?

Few characters in Tolkien’s works have generated as much controversy as Tom Bombadil, and it is perhaps no surprise that he is omitted from most adaptations (with the notable exception of ‘Tim Benzedrine’ in the Harvard Lampoon’s Bored of the Rings). In a 1954 draft letter in reply to Peter Hastings, manager of the Newman Bookshop in Oxford (which, however, he never actually sent), Tolkien said that if Tom Bombadil did not have an important role, he would not have been included:

“I don’t think Tom needs philosophizing about, and is not improved by it. But many have found him an odd or indeed discordant ingredient. In historical fact I put him in because I had already ‘invented’ him independently (he first appeared in the Oxford Magazine) and wanted an ‘adventure’ on the way. But I kept him in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out.” (Letters, #153)

Just who, or what, is Tom Bombadil? Is he a nature spirit, a Vala gone native, or what? An early theory – first articulated, it would appear, by the above mentioned Peter Hastings (in order to criticise it), and that has remained popular since – was that Tom was none other than the creator-god, Eru Ilúvatar. Tolkien, however, tried to squash this idea. In a 1956 draft reply to Michael Straight, editor of New Republic, he wrote:

“There is no ‘embodiment’ of the Creator anywhere in this story or mythology” (Letters, #181)

And again, in a 1958 letter to Rhona Beare, a student at the University of Exeter, Tolkien said:

“The One does not physically inhabit any part of Ea.” (Letters, #211)

But if Tolkien was merely the conduit (or, as he put it, ‘translator’) of this material, then he may not have been fully aware of all its implications. Or, on the other hand, maybe he was simply unwilling to reveal all that he knew, because it is clear that Tom Bombadil is, indeed, Eru Ilúvatar. Tom Bombadil – a somewhat frivolous name given to him by Hobbits – was the oldest being in the world, and had been dwelling in it since before even the Valar. Among his many names and titles, all of which referred to his primaeval status, was one given to him by the Men of Rohan – Orald –an Old English word meaning ‘most ancient’ and cognate with German Uralt and Frisian Wr-alda – this latter, in turn, being the name given to the creator-god in the 19th century Frisian chronicle known as the Oera Linda Book (it is also cognate with the modern English ‘world’). Furthermore, one of the titles the Oera Linda Book gives to Wr-alda is All-father, which is the exact translation of Ilúvatar, and is also a title of Odin (Woden) in the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson’s famous 13th century collection of Norse myths and legends.

Worship of the Ancient Ones

Elf-friends usually develop a close, spiritual relationship with one particular Vala, whom they may call upon for guidance and help at any time. To call on the Ancient Ones, or any of their number individually, we say out loud the following short phrase,
Ella kom ye la! (‘Behold, gather golden-light!’ – or, in standard Quenya spelling, Ela comyalaurë!), as used by Sally Oldfield in her Songs of the Quendi.

Candle Lantern

Ella kom ye la!

When calling on the Ancient Ones, we kneel three times – right knee touching the ground, left knee pointing west – to show our respect to the Flame Imperishable, the Spirit of Eru Ilúvatar that sustains all life on earth –and we retain this posture to ask for guidance or help, should we need any. In this fashion we call on the Ancient Ones once a day, or more often if we wish, from our homes or wherever we happen to be, facing towards the True West and the Undying Lands of Aman. A staff, or stick, of some sort is useful for balance while we are calling, and since it is disrespectful to cover the knees while doing so, it is important to dress appropriately too.

Group worship always takes place outdoors, in suitably numinous locations such as clearings in woods or beside running water, in the presence of a
covered flame (a candle in a lantern) to represent the Secret
Fire – the Flame Imperishable. Such gatherings are conducted in a Sanctuary marked on the ground in the form of the Star of Eärendil (below, right) and include feasting, singing – Sally Oldfield’s Songs of the Quendi being suitable choices –and offerings of food and drink to the Ancient Ones. Six annual seasonal festivals are observed, based on the Reckoning of Rivendell. The Coranar, or wheel of the year, is represented by a circle with six spokes.

The names of the first humans are not recorded by Tolkien in his Legendarium. The Oera Linda Book, however, tells us that they were three sisters named Lyda, Finda and Frya. The youngest of these, Frya (Frigg in the Prose Edda), after seeing her descendants reach the seventh generation, gave them a set of laws, known as Frya’s Tex. It is from these, and subsequent writings, that we know how to properly call on the Ancient Ones.

Prosperity awaits the free. At last they shall see me again. Though him
only can I recognise as free who is neither a slave to another nor to
himself. This is my counsel:—

1. When in dire distress, and when mental and physical energy avail
nothing, then have recourse to the spirit of Wr-alda; but do not appeal
to him before you have tried all other means, for I tell you beforehand,
and time will prove its truth, that those who give way to
discouragement sink under their burdens.

2. To Wr-alda’s spirit only shall you bend the knee in
gratitude—thricefold—for what you have received, for what you do
receive, and for the hope of aid in time of need.

3. You have seen how speedily I have come to your assistance. Do
likewise to your neighbour, but wait not for his entreaties. The
suffering would curse you, my maidens would erase your name from the
book, and I would regard you as a stranger.

4. Let not your neighbour express his thanks to you on bended knee,
which is only due to Wr-alda’s spirit. Envy would assail you, Wisdom
would ridicule you, and my maidens would accuse you of irreverence.

5. Four things are given for your enjoyment—air, water, land, and
fire—but Wr-alda is the sole possessor of them. Therefore ... choose upright men who will fairly divide the labour and the
fruits, so that no man shall be exempt from work or from the duty of
defence.

(Oera Linda Book – The Book of Adela’s Followers, Ch. 5: Frya’s Tex)

The Legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien

The list below is by no means exhaustive, and one of the great joys of Tolkien scholarship is that it is always possible to discover new information. Rather, the works listed here should be regarded as an essential, central corpus. It must always be born in mind, however, that the term ‘canon’ – sometimes used of Tolkien’s works – does not imply that the works in question contain no internal contradictions, because they most assuredly do. The important point is the underlying message, not the exact detail of any given text.

1. The Book of Lost Tales Part One2. The Book of Lost Tales Part Two3. The Lays of Beleriand4. The Shaping of Middle-earth5. The Lost Road and Other Writings6. The Return of the Shadow (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.1)7. The Treason of Isengard (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.2)8. The War of the Ring (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.3)9. Sauron Defeated (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.4)10. Morgoth’s Ring (The Later Silmarillion v.1)11. The War of the Jewels (The Later Silmarillion v.2)12. The Peoples of Middle-earth13. The History of Middle-earth Index

Other Source Texts

The works in the list below – which, again, is not exhaustive, and probably could never be – have apparently had access to the same sources of information as Tolkien did, so should be regarded as both authentic and useful. The Prose Edda is a compilation of the myths and legends of the Norse peoples. The Oera Linda Book is a Frisian chronicle covering a period from the 22nd to the 1st century BC. The ‘Abaloc’ seriesofnovelstellsofthemedievalmigrationsofElves toNorthAmerica. The Songs of the Quendi also tell us more about the Elves.

Meetings and Contact Details

Gatherings of Elf-friends, for the purpose of worshipping the Ancient Ones, always take place outdoors, at locations where the veil between the Elven realm and our own world is perceived to be thinnest. In addition to group rituals, such gatherings also include a picnic, after which a portion of the food is always offered to the Ancent Ones. Gatherings take place in the afternoon, when the sun has just passed its zenith.

MoseleyBog

If you would like to organise a gathering in your own area, please let us know – or if you live nearby, you are very welcome to attend our regular afternoon gatherings at The Pool, Moseley
Bog, Sarehole, Birmingham, United Kingdom (near Tolkien’s childhood home), which constitutes our most
sacred place of worship. If you wish to contact us, please use the form on the right, or feel free to join our news and discussion group on Facebook, Elven Myth & Magic.

Of all the Tolkien-related websites online, we would heartily recommend the Tolkien Gateway as the biggest and best repository of information on the life and Legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, while Ardalambion is the best resource for the study of Elven languages.